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Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Questcorp’) is pleased to announce it has entered into a marketing consulting services agreement (the ‘Spark Agreement’ or the ‘MSA’) with Spark Newswire Inc. (‘Spark’) pursuant to which, among other things, Spark is to provide certain promotional services to the Company.

Spark are very selective in the clients they work with, only partnering with organizations that have a well-deserved reputation for quality and credibility and only working with one organization within a particular market sector at a time. Spark’s goal is to integrate with their client’s values and core brand narratives, becoming an extension of the overall corporate and capital markets team, assisting in building shareholder equity, brand equity and overall market awareness.

Spark, which operates out of Vancouver, British Columbia, provides consulting and capital market advisory services to public companies. Through Spark’s engagement, the Corporation hopes to increase investor engagement and create more awareness for the Corporation.

‘Questcorp Mining has demonstrated a clear commitment to responsible exploration and strategic growth, which aligns perfectly with Spark’s mandate to support high-integrity issuers with strong fundamentals. With Questcorp entering a pivotal phase, we’re excited to help share their story across the capital markets and unlock broader investor engagement,’ said Steve Hnatko, CMO at Spark Newswire.

Questcorp President & CEO, Saf Dhillon stated ‘I have had a number of conversations and have met with both the Founders of Spark Newswire, Chris and Steve Hnatko. While we have met approximately only about a year ago, I have seen them demonstrate that they are true to their values and the types of companies they work with really are a solid reflection of their work ethic and the values they hold.

Spark is an arms-length firm, operating out of Vancouver, British Columbia, which provides consulting and capital market advisory services to public companies. Through Spark’s engagement, the Company hopes to increase investor engagement and create more awareness. The engagement is expected to commence on July 1, 2025, for an initial twelve-month term at a rate of US$25,000 per month. The Company does not propose to issue any securities to Spark in consideration for the services to be provided to the Company. Spark can be contacted at 604-761-0543 or Suite 800, 885 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3H1, Canada.

About Questcorp Mining Inc.

Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.

Contact Information

Questcorp Mining Corp.
Saf Dhillon, Founding Director, President & CEO
Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
Telephone: (604) 484-3031

This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to Riverside’s arrangements with geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/257505

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Asset Portfolio Overview

International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (OTCQB: ILHMF) (FSE: IAH) (the ‘Company’ or ‘ILC’) is pleased to announce that it has completed the sale of all its interest in the Avalonia Project in Ireland and in Blackstairs Lithium Ltd, the company that owns that project.

As announced on September 17, 2024, the Company’s interest in the Avalonia Project was sold then to GFL International Co., Limited (‘GFL’), a subsidiary of Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (‘Ganfeng’), for a consideration of CAD$ 2.2 million plus a 2% Net Smelter Royalty. The Company reports that it has now sold its shareholding in Blackstairs Lithium to GFL for an additional CAD$ 0.3 million. The final CAD$ 1.0 million of the consideration for the CAD$ 2.2 million Avalonia Project is payable by GFL in October 2025.

John Wisbey, Chairman and CEO of ILC, commented:

‘We are pleased to have completed the sale of our interest in the Avalonia Project to GFL who was our partner in Ireland. This divestment allows us to focus on our wholly owned or majority-owned projects in Canada and on progressing identified opportunities in Southern Africa. We have a strong 11-year relationship with Ganfeng, and we will welcome working with Ganfeng again on future projects when there is a mutual interest in doing so.’

About International Lithium Corp.

International Lithium Corp. has exploration activities in Ontario, Canada, with intentions to expand into Southern Africa. It has projects at various stages, ranging from Preliminary Economic Assessment at Raleigh Lake to Pre-Drilling at Wolf Ridge. The primary target metals in Canada are lithium, rubidium and copper. There are three projects (two in Ontario and now one in Ireland) in which ILC has sold its share but where we stand to receive future payments from either a resource milestone being achieved or from a Net Smelter Royalty.

While the world’s politicians are currently divided on the future of the energy market’s historic dependence on oil and gas and on ‘Net Zero’, there seems to be a clear and unstoppable momentum towards electric vehicles, solar power and electric battery storage, all of which contribute to rising demand for lithium. Rubidium is increasingly seen as a valuable critical metal that is strategic for high-precision clocks and for space technology. Copper has many historical uses, but demand is projected to be sharply higher as more data centres are required for AI. We have seen the clear and increasingly urgent wish by the USA, Canada, and other major economies to safeguard their supplies of critical metals and to become more self-sufficient. Our Canadian projects, which contain lithium, rubidium and copper, are strategic in that respect.

Our key mission for the next decade is to generate revenue for our shareholders from lithium and other battery metals, as well as rare metals, while also contributing to the creation of a greener, cleaner planet and less polluted cities.

This includes optimizing the value of our existing projects in Canada as well as finding, exploring and developing projects that have the potential to become world-class deposits. We have separately announced that we regard Southern Africa as a key strategic target market for ILC and that we have applied for and hope to receive EPOs in Zimbabwe. We hope to make further announcements on the portfolio developments over the next few weeks and months.

The Company’s interests in various projects now consist of the following, and in addition, the Company continues to seek other opportunities:

Name Metal Location Stage Area in 
Hectares
Current
Ownership
Percentage
Future Ownership % if options exercised and/or residual interest Operator or 
JV Partner
Raleigh
Lake
Lithium
Rubidium
Ontario Dec 2023: PEA
for Li completed
Apr 2023 Maiden
Resource Estimates for Li and Rb
32,900 100% 100% ILC
Firesteel Copper
Cobalt
Ontario Aeromagnetics
and Drilling 
started mid 2024
6,600 90% 90% ILC
Wolf 
Ridge
Lithium Ontario Pre-Drilling 5,700 0% 100% ILC
Mavis 
Lake
Lithium Ontario May 2023
Maiden Resource Estimate
2,600 0% 0%
(carries an extra earn-in payment of AUD$ 0.75 million if resource targets met)
Critical 
Resources 
Ltd 
(ASX: CRR)
Avalonia Lithium Ireland Drilling 29,200 0% 0%
2.0% Net Smelter Royalty
GFL Intl Co Ltd (owned by Ganfeng Lithium Group Co.Ltd)
Forgan/
Lucky Lakes
Lithium Ontario Drilling 0% 0%
1.5% Net Smelter Royalty
Power 
Minerals Ltd 
(ASX: PNN)

 

The Company’s primary strategic focus at this point is on the Raleigh Lake Project, comprising lithium and rubidium, and the Firesteel copper project in Canada, as well as obtaining EPOs and mineral claims in Zimbabwe.

The Raleigh Lake Project now encompasses 32,900 hectares (329 square kilometres) of mineral claims in Ontario and represents ILC’s most significant project in Canada. To date, drilling has occurred on less than 1,000 hectares of our claims. A Preliminary Economic Assessment was published for ILC’s lithium at Raleigh Lake in December 2023, with a detailed economic analysis of ILC’s separate rubidium resource still pending. Raleigh Lake is 100% owned by ILC, free from any encumbrances and royalties. The Raleigh Lake Project boasts excellent access to roads, rail, and utilities.

A continuing goal has been to remain a well-funded company to turn our aspirations into reality. Following the disposal of the Mariana project in Argentina in 2021, the Mavis Lake project in Canada in 2022, and now the Avalonia project, ILC continues to achieve sufficient inward cash flow to be able to make progress with its exploration projects.

With the increasing demand for high-tech rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, electrical storage, and portable electronics, lithium has been designated ‘the new oil’ and is a key part of a green energy, sustainable economy. By positioning itself with projects that have significant resource potential and solid strategic partners, ILC aims to be one of the preferred lithium and rare metals resource developers for investors and to continue building value for its shareholders for the rest of the 2020s, the decade of battery metals.

On behalf of the Company,

John Wisbey
Chairman and CEO
www.internationallithium.ca

For further information concerning this news release, please contact +1 604-449-6520 or info@internationallithium.ca or ILC@yellowjerseypr.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release or other releases contain certain ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this or other news releases may include: the timing of completion of any offering and the amount to be raised, the time when the Company will receive the remaining consideration payable by Ganfeng for the Avalonia Project, the effect of results of anticipated production rates, the timing and/or anticipated results of drilling on the Raleigh Lake or Firesteel or Wolf Ridge projects, the expectation of resource estimates, preliminary economic assessments, feasibility studies, lithium or rubidium or copper recoveries, modeling of capital and operating costs, results of studies utilizing various technologies at the company’s projects, the Company’s budgeted expenditures, future plans for expansion in Southern Africa and planned exploration work on its projects, increased value of shareholder investments in the Company, the potential from the company’s third party earn-out or royalty arrangements, the future demand for lithium, rubidium and copper, and assumptions about ethical behaviour by our joint venture partners or third party operators of projects or royalty partners. Such forward-looking information is based on assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled ‘Risks’ and ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ in the interim and annual Management’s Discussion and Analysis which are available at www.sedar.com. While management believes that the assumptions made are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Forward-looking information herein, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on expectations, estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are subject to significant business, economic, legislative, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/257488

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Israel has agreed to a proposal led by the Trump administration for a 60-day ceasefire, during which time President Donald Trump said all parties will work to end the war in the Middle East.

‘My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza,’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday. ‘Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War. 

‘The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal,’ Trump added. ‘I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar said Monday, ‘Israel is serious in its will to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza.’

He pointed to Jerusalem’s acceptance of a recent proposal presented by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, but which Hamas rejected as it did not include a solution to a permanent ceasefire and a plan to withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza.

Witkoff is expected to head to Cairo in the coming days to begin hashing out new negotiations.

The president has been pushing for Israel to end its conflict in Gaza and to secure a hostage deal.

Ending Israel’s military operations in Gaza will prove a crucial step in expanding Trump’s ambitions to bring new nations into the Abraham Accords. 

‘We have opportunities in front of us,’ Sa’ar said, echoing Jerusalem’s ambitions to reach a deal. ‘We paid for the new reality in the Middle East with the blood of our soldiers and citizens.’

‘Israel is interested in expanding the Abraham Accords circle of peace and normalization. We have an interest in adding countries, such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization – while safeguarding Israel’s essential and security interests,’ he added. 

Prior to today, Trump had not detailed which nations are interested in normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel, though nations like Saudi Arabia have made clear that so long as Palestinians continue to suffer in the Israel-Hamas conflict, normalization is off the table.

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The House Rules Committee has teed up President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ for a chamber-wide vote Wednesday after a nearly 12-hour-long session debating the massive piece of legislation.

It now heads to the entire chamber for consideration, where several Republicans have already signaled they’re concerned with various aspects of the measure.

Just two Republicans voted against reporting the bill out of committee – Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, conservatives who had expressed reservations with the bill earlier on Tuesday. No Democrats voted to advance it, while the remaining seven Republicans did.

The majority of Republican lawmakers appear poised to advance the bill, however, believing it’s the best possible compromise vehicle to make Trump’s campaign promises a reality.

‘This bill is President Trump’s agenda, and we are making it law. House Republicans are ready to finish the job and put the One Big Beautiful Bill on President Trump’s desk in time for Independence Day,’ House GOP leaders said in a joint statement after the Senate passed the bill on Tuesday.

The House Rules Committee acts as the final gatekeeper before most pieces of legislation get a chamber-wide vote.

Democrats attempted to delay the panel’s hours-long hearing by offering multiple amendments that were shot down along party lines.

They criticized the bill as a bloated tax cut giveaway to wealthy Americans, at the expense of Medicaid coverage for lower-income people. Democrats have also accused Republicans of adding billions of dollars to the national debt, chiefly by extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.

‘I don’t know what it means to be a fiscal hawk, because if you vote for this bill, you’re adding $4 trillion to the debt,’ Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Calif., said during debate on the measure. 

‘Republicans have gone on TV for months and months and months solemnly insisting to the American people that this bill is going to cut the debt, that this will not hurt anybody on Medicaid, just those lazy bums and, you know, unworthy people.’ 

But Republicans have said the bill is targeted relief for middle and working-class Americans, citing provisions temporarily allowing people to deduct taxes from tipped and overtime wages, among others.

‘If you vote against this bill, you’re voting against the child tax credit being at $2,200 per child. At the end of this year, it will drop to $1,000. That makes a huge impact to 40 million hardworking Americans. And it’s simply, when they vote no, they’re voting against a $2,200 child tax credit, and they’re okay with $1,000,’ House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said.

‘If you listen to the Democrats here, they say this is all about billionaires and millionaires. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime work. How many millionaires and billionaires, Madam Chair, work by the hour?’

The bill numbers more than 900 pages and includes Trump’s priorities on taxes, the border, defense, energy and the national debt. 

An initial version passed the House in May by just one vote, but the Senate has since made multiple key modifications to Medicaid, tax cuts and the debt limit.

Moderates are wary of the Senate measures that would shift more Medicaid costs to states that expanded their programs under ObamaCare, while conservatives have said those cuts are not enough to offset the additional spending in other parts of the bill.

Several key measures were also removed during the ‘Byrd Bath,’ a process in the Senate where legislation is reviewed so that it can be fast-tracked under the budget reconciliation process – which must adhere to a strict set of fiscal rules.

Among those conservative critics, Reps. Scott Perry, R-Pa., and Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced resolutions to change the Senate version to varying degrees.

Ogles’ amendment would have most dramatically changed the bill. If passed, it would have reverted the legislation back to the House version. 

Perry’s amendments were aimed at tightening the rollback of green energy tax credits created by the former Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Another amendment by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., would have restored certain Second Amendment-related provisions stripped out by the Byrd Bath.

Any changes to the legislation would have forced it back into the Senate, likely delaying Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline to get the bill onto Trump’s desk.

The full House is expected to begin considering the bill at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Sometime that morning, House lawmakers will vote on whether to begin debating the bill, a procedural measure known as a ‘rule vote.’

If that’s cleared, a final vote on the bill itself is expected sometime later Wednesday.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., conceded on Tuesday evening that poor weather in Washington that forced a number of flight delays could also weigh on Wednesday’s attendance – depending on how many lawmakers are stuck outside the capital.

‘We’re monitoring the weather closely,’ Johnson told reporters. ‘There’s a lot of delays right now.’

With all lawmakers present, Republicans can only afford to lose three votes to still advance both the rule vote and the final bill without any Democratic support.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The federal website created to host the U.S. national climate assessments, congressionally-mandated and peer-reviewed reports that cover the effects of climate change in the U.S. has been inaccessible so far this week.

A Fox News Digital review found that the websites for the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the pages for the national assessments were down on Tuesday without any links or referrals to other websites. 

The White House said the climate-related reports will be located within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) going forward. However, searches for the assessments did not bring anything up on the NASA website, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. national climate assessments, of which five have been created to date, are published every four years. Some scientists argue the reports save money and lives, AP reported.

‘It’s critical for decision-makers across the country to know what the science in the National Climate Assessment is,’ University of Arizona climate scientist Kathy Jacobs said in a statement. ‘That is the most reliable and well-reviewed source of information about climate that exists for the United States.’

In March, President Donald Trump’s energy chief vowed a reversal of ‘politically polarizing’ Biden-era climate policies as the new administration approaches climate change as ‘a global physical phenomenon.’

‘I am a climate realist,’ Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at S&P Global’s CERAWeek conference in Houston in March. ‘The Trump administration will treat climate change for what it is, a global physical phenomenon that is a side effect of building the modern world.’

In February, the Trump administration similarly revamped agency websites to be rid of climate change-filled content, amid a widespread rebranding of federal departments from content deemed as not aligning with Trump’s agenda.

The White House and NASA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Once a revolutionary militia, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps built power through ideology and fear. Now, after devastating losses, its future is uncertain.

After major military setbacks, Iran’s IRGC faces a turning point. Experts explain its roots, power, and whether its reign of repression and terror can endure.

Once a fringe militia born of revolution, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown into the regime’s most feared and powerful force. But according to Dr. Afshon Ostovar, a leading expert on Iran and author of ‘Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,’ said the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran may have permanently altered its trajectory.

‘What the IRGC tried to achieve over the last 25 years is basically toast,’ Ostovar told Fox News Digital, ‘Their campaign to build a military deterrent at home through missiles and nuclear enrichment, and to expand regionally through proxies, has essentially collapsed.’

Founded in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the IRGC was created to safeguard and spread the Islamic Republic’s values — often through violence. Ostovar describes how its legitimacy evolved over time, initially drawn from the overthrow of the Shah, then the Iran-Iraq War, and later through the manufactured narrative of an eternal struggle with the U.S. and Israel.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblu, told Fox News Digital the IRGC’s origin reflects a deep mistrust of Iran’s traditional military, which had remained loyal to the Shah. 

‘The IRGC were created through efforts to collect pro-regime armed gangs called Komitehs. They enforced revolutionary edicts and developed a parallel and ideological military force due to clerical skepticism in the national army,’ he explained.

‘The IRGC are tasked with preserving and defending the revolution in Iran,’ Taleblu said. ‘That’s one reason why the 1979 Islamic Revolution has not been tamed, nor has the regime’s extremism lost any luster. If anything, terrorism and hostage-taking have continued.’

‘They created a boogeyman in the U.S. and Israel,’ Ostovar added. ‘But today, that ideology no longer resonates with most Iranians. The majority want better relations with the West and are tired of the regime’s isolationist stance.’

Today, the IRGC is deeply intertwined with the clerical elite. ‘The IRGC and the clerical elite are partners in power, treating Iran as a springboard to export their revolution,’ Taleblu noted.

Over the past year, Iran has suffered a series of strategic defeats: Hezbollah has been degraded in Lebanon, Hamas crippled in Gaza, Syria effectively lost, and Iranian military infrastructure — including nuclear and missile sites — destroyed in many cases by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Ostovar says these losses have decimated the IRGC’s regional footprint and forced the regime to reevaluate its strategy.

‘They can try to rebuild everything — but that would take too long and be too difficult,’ he said. ‘More likely, we’ll see them repress harder at home and lean on China and Russia to rebuild conventional military capabilities like air defense and advanced jets.’

Internally, the IRGC’s economic empire is also under growing strain. Sanctions, cyberattacks, and battlefield losses have made operations far more difficult. Ostovar said that foreign banks avoid any connection with Iran out of fear they may inadvertently deal with IRGC-linked entities, forcing the group to operate through front companies abroad. ‘They’ve lost a lot, and now they’ll have to redirect their limited resources to rebuild. That’s going to stretch them even thinner.’

Despite these pressures, both Ostovar and Taleblu agree that the IRGC is unlikely to turn against the regime. ‘Much like the regime elite, the IRGC is at a crossroads,’ Taleblu said. ‘They have lost much of their strategic brain trust, but are likely to remain loyal for a combination of ideological and material reasons — so long as the status quo doesn’t change.’

Looking ahead, Iran may shift focus inward, relying more on domestic repression than on external terror. ‘They can’t get weapons into Gaza. They’ve lost access to Lebanon. They may still attempt terrorism, but they’ve failed repeatedly — especially against Israeli targets,’ Ostovar said. ‘In contrast, repressing their own people is something they can do easily.’

He warns that Iran could become ‘more insular, more autocratic — more like North Korea than what it is today.’ While regime collapse is always a possibility, Ostovar believes autocracies are often resilient. ‘Look at Venezuela or Cuba — they’ve run their countries into the ground but still hold on to power.’

Ostovar thinks change — and not for the better — could come via generational shift. ‘The IRGC’s younger cadre is less religious but no less hardline,’ he said. ‘They may not care about hijabs, but they’ve spent the last two decades fighting the U.S. and Israel in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. That’s the war they know.’

Some reformist elements within the regime envision a different path — one focused on normalization and growth. ‘They want to preserve the regime not by fighting the world, but by opening up to it,’ Ostovar said. ‘They look more to Vietnam or China as models.’

Taleblu warned that despite recent setbacks, the IRGC’s grip remains strong. ‘Right now, the Guards have power without accountability, wielding political, economic, and military influence in Iranian policy. How this influence is channeled by the next generation of Guardsmen remains to be seen.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The State Department is launching a new ‘America First’ rebranding initiative to consolidate all the logos for its offices under a singular one depicting the American flag — an effort that aligns with the agency’s massive overhaul plans. 

Whereas separate logos existed previously for offices, including embassies, bureaus and programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development, the rebranding effort seeks to establish ‘consistent branding’ across all these platforms to best reflect American contributions abroad, according to a State Department official. 

‘The redesign is very simple, and that was to recenter and re-anchor the visual identity of American efforts overseas in the American flag,’ Darren Beattie, undersecretary for public diplomacy at the State Department, told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 

Beattie said that inconsistent branding across State Department offices and programs has meant that sometimes U.S. efforts abroad aren’t as widely recognized, while other countries that do have uniformity in branding receive greater credit. 

‘There’s some things you look at it, and you have no clue that’s associated with the United States government at all, and that’s obviously contrary to our purposes,’ Beattie said. ‘If we’re contributing something great overseas, we want that positivity and that contribution to be immediately visually distinguished as something associated with the United States.’

The State Department rolled out guidance on the rebranding effort Wednesday — just a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that USAID would officially no longer continue to provide foreign assistance. 

Fox News Digital first reported in March that the State Department would absorb remaining functions from the previously independent organization, which delivered aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. 

Compliance with the rebranding effort across State Department offices and bureaus is slated for Oct. 1, according to Beattie. 

The effort seeks to visually complement the State Department’s reorganization already underway, which officials have said is the largest restructuring of the agency since the Cold War. 

Rubio unveiled plans in April to revamp the agency because the department was ‘bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission.’

Additionally, Rubio told lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing foreign affairs in May that the restructuring aimed to ’empower’ regional bureaus and embassies who are responsible for spearheading the ‘best innovations.’ 

‘They are identifying problems and opportunities well in advance of some memo that works its way to me,’ Rubio told lawmakers. ‘We want to get back to a situation or we want to get to a situation where we are empowering ideas and action at the embassy level and through our regional bureaus. Those are literally the front lines of American diplomacy. And so we have structured a State Department that can deliver on that.’

Fox News Digital first reported in May that the agency’s reorganization plans would involve cutting or consolidating more than 300 of the agency’s 700 offices and bureaus in an attempt to streamline operations. 

The reorganization involves axing roughly 3,400 State Department personnel, amounting to approximately 15% to 20% of the agency’s domestic headcount, State Department officials previously told Fox News Digital. 

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Clean energy stocks fell Monday as President Donald Trump’s spending legislation now includes a tax on wind and solar projects using Chinese components and abruptly phases out key credits.

Shares of NextEra Energy, the largest renewable developer in the U.S., fell 4%. Solar stocks Array Technologies, Enphase and Nextracker were down between 1% and 9%.

The Senate is voting Monday on amendments to the legislation. The current draft ends the two most important tax credits for solar and wind projects placed in service after 2027.

“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on X over the weekend. “Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”

Previous versions of the bill were more flexible, allowing projects that began construction before 2027 to qualify for the investment and electricity production tax credits, according to Monday note from Goldman Sachs.

The change “compresses project timelines and adds significant execution risk,” Bank of America analyst Dimple Gosal told clients in a note Monday. “Developers with large ’25 pipelines, may struggle to meet the new deadlines — potentially delaying or downsizing planned investments.”

The Senate legislation also slaps a tax on solar and wind projects that enter service after 2027 if they use components made in China.

“The latest draft in the Senate has become more restrictive for most renewable players, moving toward a worst case outcome for solar and wind, with a few improvements for subsectors on the margin,” Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Percoco told clients in a Sunday note.

To be sure, the rooftop solar industry is viewed by Wall Street as a relative winner from the bill, with Sunrun shares up more than 13% and SolarEdge trading more than 6% higher on Monday. The legislation seems to allow tax credits for leased rooftop systems to remain in place through the end of 2027, which was not the case in previous versions, according to Goldman Sachs.

And First Solar is up more than 9% as the legislation seems to allow the manufacturer to claim credits for both components and final products, according to Bank of America.

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Love your Costco dupes? Lululemon is coming after them.

Lululemon has filed a lawsuit against Costco, accusing the big box store of selling knockoffs of the athleisure brand’s apparel for a fraction of the price.

According to the complaint filed Friday in the Central District of California, Costco allegedly ‘unlawfully traded’ on Lululemon’s ‘reputation, goodwill and sweat equity’ by selling unauthorized and unlicensed knockoffs and dupes, infringing on the company’s popular patents.

The complaint lists several Costco items that appear to rip off Lululemon’s designs and patents: Costco’s ‘Danskin Half-Zip Pullover’ that retails for just $8. The lawsuit claims it’s a dupe for Lululemon’s SCUBA pullover that sells for $118. Costco’s ‘Jockey Ladies Yoga Jacket’ and ‘Spyder Women’s Yoga Jacket,’ which sell for $22, appear to be a dupe of Lululemon’s DEFINE jacket with a price tag of $128. The ‘Kirkland 5 Pocket Performance Pant,’ sold online for $10, is a dupe for Lululemon’s $128 ABC Pant, the complaint contended.

The lawsuit alleged trade dress infringement, unfair competition under the Lanham Act, patent infringement, and violation of the California Unfair Business Practices Act.

Lululemon seeks to recover monetary damages from lost profits, claiming it suffered ‘significant harm’ to its brands and reputation.

Dupes have surged in popularity, fueled by social media and young people seeking trendy, high-quality clothing without breaking the bank. The suit noted that hashtags like ‘LululemonDupes’ have trended on social media platforms like TikTok, with influencers promoting ‘these copycat products.’

Lululemon, based in Vancouver, acknowledged some companies have replicated its proprietary apparel designs and sold them as ‘dupes.’ The company said it has sent cease and desist letters to such companies, including Costco.

Specifically, the suit claimed Costco sells dupes of Lululemon’s popular SCUBA, DEFINE, and ABC lines, ‘which have earned substantial fame and considerable goodwill among the public.’

Costco allegedly profited off confusion and allowed customers to believe the products are authentic, the lawsuit claimed.

The suit said Costco is known to use manufacturers of popular branded products for its own Kirkland label products.

‘This source ambiguity preconditions at least some consumers into believing that private label, Kirkland-branded dupes are in fact manufactured by the authentic suppliers of the ‘original’ products. Defendant does not dispel this ambiguity,’ the complaint said.

In November, Lululemon wrote to Costco about the infringement, and Costco subsequently removed at least some of the products that infringed Lululemon’s SCUBA mark, but later began selling the Hi-Tec Men’s Scuba full zip, the complaint said.

The suit seeks a jury trial and for the court to order Costco to pay Lululemon damages in the form of lost profits, an order to permanently restrain Costco from making or selling more dupes, and an order to remove any ads or posts displaying the infringing products.

Costco did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on Tuesday.

Lululemon said in a statement that ‘as an innovation-led company that invests significantly in the research, development, and design of our products, we take the responsibility of protecting and enforcing our intellectual property rights very seriously and pursue the appropriate legal action when necessary.’

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A Greek Odyssey

First of all, I apologize for any potential delays or inconsistencies this week. I’m currently writing this from a hotel room in Greece, surrounded by what I can only describe as the usual Greek chaos. Our flight back home was first delayed, then canceled, then rescheduled and delayed again. So instead of being back at my desk as planned, I’m getting back into the trenches from a small Greek town. But the markets wait for no one, so here we are!

Market Sector Shifts: Tech Takes the Lead

The changes in our top five aren’t massive, but they’re certainly worth noting. Technology has muscled its way back to the #1 spot, nudging Industrials down to second. Communication Services and Utilities are holding steady at positions #3 and #4 respectively. The most interesting move, imho, is Financials re-entering the top five at #5, up from #7 last week.

Real estate remains just outside at #6, while Consumer Staples has dropped out of the top five, landing at #7. Materials and Energy are still bringing up the rear at #8 and #9. In a bit of musical chairs, Consumer Discretionary and Health Care have swapped places — Discretionary now at #10 and Health Care down to #11.

  1. (2) Technology – (XLK)*
  2. (1) Industrials – (XLI)*
  3. (3) Communication Services – (XLC)
  4. (4) Utilities – (XLU)
  5. (7) Financials – (XLF)*
  6. (6) Real-Estate – (XLRE)
  7. (5) Consumer Staples – (XLP)*
  8. (8) Materials – (XLB)
  9. (9) Energy – (XLE)
  10. (11) Consumer Discretionary – (XLY)*
  11. (10) Healthcare – (XLV)*

Weekly RRG

The weekly Relative Rotation Graph (RRG) paints a clear picture of Technology’s strength as it powers further into the leading quadrant. Industrials is still in the lead, but has started to lose some relative momentum — though it’s maintaining the highest RS-ratio reading. Communication Services is showing a clear upward rotation, while Financials and Utilities are inside the weakening quadrant with negative headings (but still above the 100 level, keeping them in the top five).

Daily RRG

  • Technology and Communication Services flexing their muscles in the leading quadrant
  • Industrials inside lagging, but turning back up
  • Financials in improving on a positive heading
  • Utilities rotating back down at a negative heading, close to crossing into lagging

The sector at risk here is clearly Utilities — at least for now.

Technology

The Technology sector chart is showing a very clear breakout above the resistance area around 240. It’s a decisive move, and that old resistance should now act as support. This breakout is mirrored in the relative strength line, which has continued its upward trajectory after breaking out of the falling channel.

Industrials

Industrials are also flexing their muscles, clearing overhead resistance with a nice breakout. The relative strength line, already out of its consolidation pattern, appears to be gaining momentum again. This is starting to drag the RS ratio line higher.

Communication Services

Communication Services is showing a clear upward break over the 105 resistance area. Just like Tech and Industrials, that old resistance is now expected to act as support. The price strength is finally reflected in the relative strength line, which has started to move up against the rising support line. This is causing the RS momentum line to pull up, almost crossing back over the 100 level, which should, in turn, push Communication Services back into the leading quadrant on the weekly RRG.

Utilities

Utilities, one of the defensive sectors in this cyclical power play, has remained static within its range. But in this market, standing still means losing relative strength. The utility sector is becoming increasingly at risk, with its relative strength chart returning to the trading range and heading towards the lower boundary. This is dragging the RRG lines lower.

Financials

Financials, our new entrant in the top five, is still grappling with the old rising support line and overhead resistance level. However, last week’s price action seems to have broken the sector out of a small consolidation pattern. If Financials can now take out the overhead resistance just above 52, it’ll be a powerful sign for this sector.

Portfolio Performance

From a portfolio performance perspective, we’re getting hurt by the strength of the Technology sector. It’s in the portfolio, but not enough to keep up with the S&P 500’s performance. We’re still underperforming by around 8%.

To turn this situation around, we need sustained moves higher by Technology, Communication Services, and potentially Financials. If Consumer Discretionary could join the party at some stage, that would be ideal — but it’s still far off at #10. For now, we’ll have to work with what we’ve got, especially from Tech and Communication Services, with potential boosts from Financials and Industrials. Utilities are likely to be a drag while they remain in the top five, given the current bullish market sentiment.

#StayAlert and have a great week. –Julius